Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

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Author's Greeting: Hello everyone! Did you all have a lovely Christmas? Wonderful. Marvelous. Well I myself am doing exceptionally admirably.

Yesterday I filled out that nasty FAFSA. You must know what I'm talking about. So many questions about numbers and all that. Yikes!

I have recently acquired a very beautiful poster of two lovers on a beach. Simply superb, really. I love it very much. Just hope no one tries to snag it while I'm gone. And, as usual, here come the characters…..

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Quick Update: Hermione-

Your cat followed me down to my dormitory. He was acting rather strangely and seemed to want me to write a letter.

Hermione looked up again at Crookshanks. How odd. She'd always known he was quite a strange cat though.

Hermione looked back down at the letter and continued to read.

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I didn't catch on at first but after several scratch marks and having your cat dig through my bag, I deciphered his meaning.

I really don't know what to write, however. But I must write something as your cat is intently staring at me. I'm afraid he is plotting my demise.

I suppose I should talk about the thing between us that I know we are both going over and over in our minds. I'm talking about when I kissed you the other night. I was not planning that. It just happened.

Over the past few weeks you've started to interest me, what with our talking and patrolling, and, strangely enough, accidentally meeting in the oddest places.

But I think it is more than just talking and patrolling. There is something about you that I sense; but I can't put my finger on it. Sometimes I see it in your eyes when you don't appear to be focused on something.

Well, here is your letter; Crookshanks has been appeased and is ready to take it to you.

-Draco Malfoy

Hermione stared at the letter for a few moments before laying it aside. She had no idea that Draco Malfoy could produce something in the form of words like that. She thought it was beautiful.

She had to hide it though. Even though Ron couldn't come up to the girl's dormitories, she didn't want to risk it being found by a fellow class mate or someone else. Everyone knew that she was with Ron. If the letter were found, Ron would most certainly hear of it and there would be quite a price to pay.

Hermione shuddered. She didn't want to think of what horrible notion Ron would come up with next.

Hermione shifted her things aside by her bed and opened her trunk. Where should she hide it? In her journal? No. That would be the first place someone would look. Underneath all her books and papers? No. That was still too evident. Perhaps…

There! Hermione found a loose flap in the inner fabric of her trunk. She remembered now that she had snagged something on it a couple of years ago and it had torn loose. Unless someone knew it was there…but it was hardly discernable! Brilliant! Hermione carefully tucked the letter behind the loose flap and smoothed it back over.

Hermione closed her trunk and took a step back. She had a feeling things were going to be a lot different now. Oh yes they were.

Hermione then climbed back into bed and went to sleep. Almost. Right when she had reached that pleasantly slurred state of being barely conscious, Hermione flipped over with a start. She must write him back of course! She didn't have the energy to think and write out her reply yet. She would wait until tomorrow. But she needed to remind herself.

Hermione climbed out of bed and got into her trunk again. Her eyes strayed over the well-hidden flap of fabric. She felt a little thrill go through her. She tore a small corner off of a piece of parchment and grabbed a quill and inkbottle.

Now what to write. She couldn't write, Reply to Draco obviously. She needed to come up with a code name for him. Hermione paused in thought. She needed an insignificant name that would identify him to her, but to no one else. Russia, for some reason, popped into her mind. No. That would never do. Write Russia. It didn't sound the way she wanted it to.

Hermione pondered for another few moments. Then "seahorse" popped into her head. Perfect! How often did you hear seahorse? Practically never! But if someone saw it they wouldn't think much of it. Yes. Draco would be Seahorse.

With that decided, Hermione penned herself a note. It simply read, Seahorse.

Finally, Hermione went back to bed for good that night. She slept very well knowing she had successfully decided on some critical issues.

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The next morning dawned cold and clear. Hermione woke with a feeling of happiness. Not giddy happiness. Content happiness, and just a little thrill of expectancy.

She dressed and went down to the Gryffindor common room. She had to hurry or Ron would wonder why she wasn't there. She didn't want trouble.

Ron was standing near the fireplace with Harry. They were talking wildly about something.

Hermione walked over to them with a greeting. They were both gesturing madly about Snape's essay on murkweed use. The essay had to be 3 and a half feet in length. Harry had finished his, barely. He'd spaced his words out as far as he could get away with. Ron, however, still had another half foot left to go.

"Hello Hermione." Said Harry. Ron was still muttering incensed words about Snape. "If I don't get this done, I'll be done for! Snape said if I missed another essay he'd give me detention."

Unfortunately, Potions was right after breakfast.

"Hermione, you've got to help me out!" Ron said to Hermione.

Hermione would rather swim with the giant squid than let Ron the beast copy her paper. Fortunately, she wouldn't have to go to such extremes.

"I'm sorry Ron but I can't. I turned mine in early." Hermione said. And indeed she had. She had so much paperwork flying around that she was afraid she'd lose some important papers. She had asked Snape if she might turn it in a few days early and he had grudgingly agreed.

"Why don't you work on it during breakfast?" asked Hermione.

"There's not enough time!" said Ron. "And I'm starving. I'd never be able to focus. Maybe I'll scratch something out at the last minute."

So the three went down to breakfast together.

After breakfast, with Ron unusually (and thankfully, in Hermione's case) quiet, they made their way down to Potions.

Ron was mumbling to himself looking over his essay when Snape swept into the classroom.

He came to the front of the hushed class and faced them. "You should now be familiar with the properties and functions of murkweed." Snape said. "You will be using that knowledge today in a potion of acute complexity."

He paused to let his words sink in…

"Before we begin, pass your essay forward." Snape said, bringing the hammer down on Ron.

Ron looked around resignedly and passed his paper forward.

"He probably won't notice." Harry said.

"Of course he will. Snape notices everything." Ron muttered angrily.

Snape flicked his wand and the instructions appeared on the blackboard. "Begin." He said.

The students started milling around getting ingredients and tools. Snape was looking through the papers.

"Mr. Weasley." Snape said suddenly.

Ron, looking scared, turned toward Snape.

"Come up here. We are going to discuss your paper. And its consequences." Said Snape; enjoying the effect his words were having on Ron.

Ron walked up to Snape's desk.

"I remember telling you that if you missed another essay, you would receive detention." Snape said smoothly.

Ron started to protest but Snape cut him off. "An unfinished paper, to me, is the same as no paper at all." Snape snapped. "Therefore, detention you will get. Be at my office tomorrow night at 8." Snape finished.

Ron walked back to his desk. Harry said a few things to try and cheer him up.

Hermione, on the other hand, was thinking. If Ron had detention, he would be gone. He would be busy doing some horrid chore for Snape for who knows how long. That left Hermione free to do anything, or go anywhere, that she wanted. Because there was no Ron to say stand in her way.

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